Sarafina! (film)
| music = Mbongeni Ngema Stanley Myers Hugh Masekela | cinematography = Mark Vicente | editing = David Heitner | studio = Hollywood Pictures Miramax Films BBC | distributor = Buena Vista Pictures (US) Warner Bros. (UK) | released = | runtime = 117 minutes | country = United States South Africa | language = English | budget = | gross = $7,306,242 }} Sarafina! is a 1992 South African film directed by Darrell Roodt and starring Leleti Khumalo, Whoopi Goldberg, Miriam Makeba, John Kani and Tertius Meintjies. Plot The plot centres on students involved in the Soweto Riots, in opposition to the implementation of Afrikaans as the language of instruction in schools. The character Sarafina (Leleti Khumalo) feels shame at her mother's (Miriam Makeba) acceptance of her role as domestic servant in a white household in apartheid South Africa, and inspires her peers to rise up in protest, especially after her inspirational teacher, Mary Masombuka (Whoopi Goldberg) is imprisoned. In the opening scene, Sarafina (Leleti Khumalo) is seen talking while staring at Nelson Mandela's picture, the time the South African icon was still imprisoned. In the latter scene Sarafina is again talking while staring at Mandela's picture on the wall, criticizing him for being gone for a long time and not responding to the nation's pleas, idolising him as someone who can change the horrific situation that the Black nation of South Africa is in. Production Filming The film was shot on location in Soweto and Johannesburg, South Africa. Darrell Roodt directed, with the script by Mbongeni Ngema and William Nicholson. Leleti Khumalo reprised her role as Sarafina, with Whoopi Goldberg as Mary Masombuka and Miriam Makeba as Angelina. Companies involved included the British Broadcasting Corporation. In the United States, the MPAA, rated the film PG-13 for scenes of apartheid-driven violence. The extended version, released in 1993, was rated R for strong scenes of violence. For Whoopi Goldberg, this was a project she was determined to be a part of, and convinced the executives at Disney that if they agreed to make this film, she would agree to reprise her role as Dolores Van Cartier in Sister Act 2: Back In The Habit, which Disney was keen to make since the original had brought in many millions worldwide. . Reception Accolades The film was screened out of competition at the 1992 Cannes Film Festival. Whoopi Golberg mentioned on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah (who said the movie was a hit in South Africa), that the LA riots due to Rodney King happened at the same time that Sarafina! was released which resulted in the movie not being so well known in the US. Release The film was released on 18 September 1992. Sarafina! was re-released in South Africa on 16 June 2006 to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Soweto uprising in Soweto. The re-mastered director’s cut is not very different from the original, except for the inclusion of one scene that was cut from the original, between Leleti Khumalo (Sarafina) and Miriam Makeba (Sarafina's mother), which includes a musical number "Thank You Mama". Box office Sarafina! grossed $7,306,242 in North American box office receipts. References External links * * Category:1992 films Category:Apartheid films Category:BBC Films films Category:English-language films Category:Films about race and ethnicity Category:Films based on plays Category:1990s drama films Category:Films directed by Darrell Roodt Category:Films set in 1976 Category:Films set in South Africa Category:Films shot in South Africa Category:Hollywood Pictures films Category:Miramax films Category:South African films Category:1990s musical films Category:American comedy-drama films Category:Film scores by Stanley Myers